In the fall of 1990, my friend and colleague at Krasnaya Zvezda, and then the editor-in-chief of the Military Historical Journal, General Viktor Filatov, frankly, got it wrong by publishing chapters from the odious Mein Kampf in his monthly journal. German Chancellor Helmut Kohl was very indignant at this action and called Gorbachev. They say that in our country they put Hitler in jail for publishing Hitler's works, but in your country they are respected by a military magazine. But now we will talk about the man who always moved Gorbachev like a puppeteer with his puppets - about Alexander Nikolayevich Yakovlev.
It was he who came to TASS, where I worked as a war correspondent for the Minister of Defense, to investigate and make a decision. The general called me into the office, where were his deputies Anatoly Krasikov, Vyacheslav Kevorkov and the head of the Military-Political Editorial Board Nikolai Komarov. It was to this “narrow circle of limited persons” that a member of the Presidential Council of the USSR expressed his stormy indignation. He said that an incident happened, in principle, unheard of, blatant, out of the ordinary. That such a disgrace should be properly assessed by the Minister of Defense himself. This general should, of course, be demoted to the rank of private. And to expel from the army - at least. And everything must be done quickly - by tomorrow!
It was not the first time I listened to Alexander Nikolaevich, and this happened in different audiences. Usually he gave the impression of a mature, balanced, somewhere even wise pastor, instructing his flock like a father.
And then he went right out. Yes, Filatov made a stupid mistake. But why, in the days of that “glasnost”, be so nervous and rush to us from Staraya Square? Yes, and it was elementary to resolve the situation using the Kremlin's "turntable". Clever Vyacheslav Ervandovich, KGB general and former assistant to Yu.V. Andropov, explained everything to me in detail when we left the office of the General. “Gorbachev's government,” Kevorkov said, “is not just anemic and sluggish – it's gone. The country therefore stands at the edge of the abyss, from which the icy breath of civil war, hunger and cold blows. A society bewildered by perestroika demagogic chatter can only be brought to life by military force, which Yakovlev's nukers, Korotich's types, have not yet fully managed to destroy. And then, as if by order, your friend Filatov set himself up. "Our gray cardinal" and will hit the military from all calibers. For him, this is a great reason to once again “lower” them and put them in their place. You pass this on to Yazov. Let him not be nervous, he has support ... ".
Gathering into a fist all the politeness allotted to me by nature, I went to the Minister of Defense. Dmitry Timofeevich listened attentively to my report and scratched his head. “That's what,” he said, “it is necessary to write so that the sheep are safe and the wolves are fed. That is, so that both Mikhail Sergeyevich and Kohl are satisfied, but so that I don’t sprinkle ashes on my head so much, as Yakovlev craves. And Victor needs to be covered. You understood me?"
What is there not to understand. I prepared a speech for the marshal. He read it, corrected it, I don’t remember, and then said: “It’s not good in the preamble: Hitler and then my last name. And let's we will divorce us with your khokhlatskaya. You dont mind?" - “Even mail for honor. But in this kind of landmark publications, it is not customary to indicate the name of a TASS correspondent” - “Nothing, I'll call your Spiridonov. And at the same time I will warn you not to tinker with Yakovlev in my speech. He doesn’t really favor our military brother.”
It was in Dmitry Timofeevich that the diplomat spoke. Because Alexander Nikolaevich with all his heart, fiercely and practically all his conscious life hated the Soviet government, the party and all those structures that supported them. And he did so much for their collapse, like no other shifter from the highest echelon of Soviet and party power, including Khrushchev, Gorbachev, Yeltsin, Shevardnadze and smaller fry - Sobchak, Burbulis, Popov, etc.
But Yakovlev did not particularly like the army and the KGB. In the so-called post-perestroika times, he spoke about this a lot and often.
Like any Soviet political propagandist, he was distinguished by increased demagoguery, tongue-tiedness and a complete lack of publicism. But at the same time, he also possessed a real revolutionary conspiracy. It's no joke, by his own admission, back in 1944 he realized that something was wrong with this government. And in subsequent years, only strengthened in his conclusion. Moreover, he did everything in his power to overthrow that hated power. In this sense, Stirlitz is not suitable for Yakovlev, not just a candle - his little finger is not worth it.
Just think, some kind of member of the NSDAP since 1933, SS Standartenführer. Yes, our hero, through hard work, ostentatious and hypocritical diligence, became a marshal, a demiurge of the Soviet government, becoming a member of the Politburo! At the same time, undermining it in every possible way.
“It all started with such a philosophical state as doubting the sincerity of the speech of this or that Kremlin leader. After all, I participated in the writing of these speeches. And we all perfectly understood that much of what was written was bullshit. But we were not the only ones who understood. More and more people began to realize that we live a triple life: we think one thing, say another, and act on a third. The difficulty was how to translate these doubts and growing protest into practical action. At one time I sympathized with dissidents. And I realized that the dissidents could not do anything. In the end, I came to one conclusion: this wild system can only be blown up from within, using its totalitarian spring - the party.
Using such factors as discipline and trust built up over the years in the General Secretary, in the Politburo: if the General says so, then so be it. In addition, at the time Gorbachev came to the highest party post, we used the fact that all party leaders began their activities with broadcast statements: about freedom (in the socialist sense, of course), about socialist democracy, that we have the highest culture , the best life, and if not for these damned imperialists, in general, everything would be fine. So this is where we started. At the April plenum, it was all swallowed up. Although there in the report the thesis about freedom of social choice was already sounded. Swallowed. The thesis about the development of democracy was voiced - in two or three cases without the epithet "socialist". Swallowed. Words flashed about the initiative of people as a primacy, the basis for the development of society. Swallowed. Boasting about the wise leadership of the Communist Party was curtailed. No one was indignant: why, after all, everything was approved by the Politburo, therefore, everything should be so; let the new general secretary talk, show what a big guy he is; to do something we will still be in our own way.
When did the orthodox get worried? In 1987, after the January plenum, where we raised the question of alternative elections. It dawned on many then: they are digging under me, after all, they won’t re-elect me either. After all, here's what's interesting: the entire nomenklatura knew perfectly well that they would not be re-elected in free elections. Indeed, in the very first elections, many secretaries of regional and regional committees were not elected. But it was only the very, very beginning ... ".
Let us return nevertheless to how Yakovlev smashed the backbone of the state - the army. Egor Ligachev’s assistant Valery Legostaev recalls: “Constantly egged on by his inner circle, in which Yakovlev already played an important role, Gorbachev was looking for a pretext for reprisals against the opposition, as he believed, leadership of the USSR Armed Forces. It was Matthias Rust who delivered him at the appointed hour on the tail of his sports plane. As a result, Gorbachev, ruled by Yakovlev, put 150 generals and officers on trial. Not only the leadership of the Air Defense Forces, headed by Air Marshal Koldunov, was displaced, but also the Minister of Defense Marshal Sokolov with all his deputies, the chief of the General Staff and his two first deputies, the commander-in-chief and chief of staff of the Warsaw Pact Allied Forces, all commanders of groups of forces in Germany, Poland , Czechoslovakia and Hungary, all fleet commanders and all district commanders. In a number of districts, commanders were replaced more than once.
The wave of Gorbachev's purge reached at least the level of command of divisions, and possibly went even lower. As a result of the operation, the leadership of the Soviet army was actually beheaded.
One afternoon in early June, as usual, Yakovlev appeared in my office unexpectedly. The broad, roughly drawn face of "AN" shone with a triumphant smile. He was in an openly upbeat, almost celebratory frame of mind. Right from the threshold, triumphantly putting out his palms in front of him, he blurted out: "In! All hands are covered in blood! Elbow-deep!" From the excited explanations that followed, it turned out that my guest was returning from the next meeting of the Politburo, at which personnel clashes were held in connection with the Rust case. The results of this meeting led Yakovlev to such an enthusiastic victorious state. His hands were "in the blood" of the defeated adversaries.
“Remember the rallies “in defense of the army” a year ago? Remember the posters dedicated to me? On one - I am in the foreshortening of the sight, with the inscription: “This time we will not miss!” And another one with the words: “Yakovlev is a CIA agent,” he said.
In the late eighties - early nineties in the country, only the lazy and the so-called liberal did not say that Yakovlev was a CIA agent. The chairman of the KGB, Kryuchkov, stated this directly and many times. In his book "Personal File" he writes that he even laid out irrefutable evidence before Gorbachev! When the same Minister of Defense Yazov was asked head-on by the military whether Yakovlev and Shevardnadze were noteworthy henchmen of the West, he shrugged his shoulders: “The devil knows, although it may very well be.”
It was really hard to find out. And what, in essence, is the difference: whether Yakovlev was an agent or not, if in life, as they say, he acted precisely as a real, exemplary agent. The West has never had such a powerful and influential figure as this one.
« For six years, at all congresses and plenums, I was accused of destroying the communist movement together with Shevardnadze and Gorbachev. And in a sense, it is. We, two or three "unsteady" from the Politburo, all the time had to make compromises. Appease a little here, retreat a little there. Let go, we move on. And the situation has evolved forward.
He had a magnificent, simply brilliant biography according to Soviet canons. Born in the poorest peasant family of the Yaroslavl region. In the Great Patriotic War he fought on the Volkhov Front - he commanded a platoon as part of the 6th separate brigade of the Marine Corps. Was badly wounded.
At the front, he became a communist. After the war, he graduated from the history department of the Yaroslavl State Pedagogical Institute. K.D. Ushinsky. In parallel with his studies, he headed the department of military physical training. For a year he studied at the Higher Party School under the Central Committee of the CPSU. He worked in the newspaper "Severny Rabochiy", in the Yaroslavl Regional Committee of the CPSU. Then - an instructor of the apparatus of the Central Committee of the CPSU. Thanks to the strongest protege of the double namesake Shelepin, he trained at Columbia University in the USA with the future notorious KGB general Kalugin. Then he worked in various leadership positions in the Central Committee of the CPSU. He defended his Ph.D., and in 1967 his doctoral dissertation on the historiography of US foreign policy doctrines, zealously denounced imperialism.
... For the first time, Yakovlev declared himself in full voice in the fall of 1972, publishing an article "Against anti-historicism" in Literaturnaya Gazeta. It contained a very significant credo of the author. “Admiration of the patriarchal way of life, domostroy mores - this is a speech against Lenin and his assessments of the peasantry. Anyone who does not understand this, in essence, is arguing with the dialectic of the Leninist view of the peasantry, with the socialist practice of reorganizing the countryside. located "in direct contradiction to Lenin." “Who, in this case, are our zealots of the patriarchal village fighting and where are they calling?” Citing a phrase from one book that the hero does not agree with Chernyshevsky's words about the Russians as a "nation of slaves", A. Yakovlev backhanded "hit the mob on the tinsel": " The controversy is not only with Chernyshevsky, but also with Lenin.! In the same way, he cracked down on any, even the most cautious, attempts to say something good about Orthodoxy. " In many verses, we meet with the chanting of churches and icons, and this is far from a poetic question. “We do not forget that the bayonets of punishers who strangled the first Russian revolution were consecrated under the vaults of churches ... the most “democratic” religion is ultimately reactionary, it represents the ideology of spiritual slavery.”
Then came a huge, detailed list of many surnames of the “Russians”. The author did not forget about "leavened patriotism", "chauvinism" and "anti-Semitism". In a word, the article caused a flurry of indignation among the patriots.
The cunning author was instantly sent as the USSR ambassador to Canada for as much as 10 years. And there, under the canopy of a maple leaf, the Yaroslavl citizen would have waited for retirement if he had not met Gorbachev in time and failed to charm the latter. The future "messiah from perestroika" convinced General Secretary Andropov: there is a great guru in Canada and he urgently needs to be returned for great deeds.
Years later, Yakovlev would “thank” both of his patrons: “ Yuri Andropov is a cunning, cunning and highly experienced person. Didn't study anywhere. The organizer of moral repressions, constant pressure on the intelligentsia - exiles, expulsions, prisons, psychiatric hospitals.
“Mikhail Sergeevich really ... I must say, he always surprised me with personnel mistakes. A smart person, quite educated, well-read. There is also a political instinct. But what is a mystery to me - I absolutely did not understand people. They told him, for example, Kravchenko was not suitable for the chairmanship of the State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company. Moreover, the presidential council voted against it. And he: "Well, as you wish - but I still appoint."
As for Yakovlev himself, he was, of course, a great dock in the frames. Alexander Nikolayevich unmistakably knew how to find suitable people, who later, in a Stakhanovite way, helped him in the destruction of the "evil empire."
So in the summer of 1991, he, together with A.I. Volsky, N.Ya. Petrakov, G.Kh. Popov, A.A. Sobchak, I.S. Silaev, S.S. Shatalin, E.A. Shevardnadze, A.V. Rutskoy signs an appeal on the creation of the Democratic Reform Movement (DDR) and is a member of its Political Council. And at different times, his closest assistants were: Vitaly Korotich, Vasily Aksenov, director Yuri Lyubimov, oligarch Boris Berezovsky, traitor Oleg Kalugin ... Yakovlev personally appointed the editors of Moscow News, Soviet Culture, Izvestia, Ogonyok magazines , "Znamya", "New World" - that is, the entire perestroika clip of the media. In the future, it was these publications that became the mouthpiece of the "perestroika" - read destructive ideology.
In the summer of 1985, Yakovlev became the head of the propaganda department of the Central Committee of the CPSU. At the June (1987) plenum, he was elected a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU - chairman of the Commission of the Politburo of the Central Committee for additional study of materials related to repressions. From that moment on, Alexander Yakovlevich takes almost all the reins of government into his hands as a many-armed and many-faced monster who was nurtured by international imperialism and who was called upon to destroy, destroy the socialist country, the party, the army, the KGB, break all other state bonds. In those years, such a conclusion would have been laughed at. And today we see that this is exactly what happened.
The widespread battles against the system were, of course, carried out by numerous Yakovlev landsknechts. But in the decisive, key moments of the battle, the correspondent member took the initiative.
So he personally smashed to smithereens a speech in the newspaper "Soviet Russia" by Nina Andreeva with the symbolic title "I can not give up my principles." (Serve everyone in principle!) He personally made a report on the consequences of the signing in 1939 of the Non-Aggression Treaty between the USSR and Germany (“the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact”) and the secret protocols to it. He also promoted the "Katyn case", which became the key to Poland's endless and permanent claims to Russia and the complete legalization of Polish hatred of Russians. And the titanic labor of the subversives bore corresponding fruits. At the very end of December 1991, under the supervision of Yakovlev, there was a transfer of power from the President of the USSR M.S. Gorbachev to the President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin. Alexander Nikolayevich had the full and legal right to take a breath. When asked by a journalist whether he and his “ward” Gorbachev were thinking about returning to big politics, the now academician replied imposingly: “Why? The possibility is very small. This can only be a coincidence, not a pattern. I think that by working in the Fund, Mikhail Sergeevich and I will bring more benefits to the country.” Ah, it wasn't there!
“People often ask me: when we started perestroika, did we think what would come of it? Do you agree with what is happening now? I will answer this way: no one, including us, could predict, paint by day what would happen. But ideally, of course, our Reformation, the great Reformation, did not involve such a sharp decline in the living standards of the people. And, of course, it never occurred to anyone, personally to me, for example, that democratization in itself, or rather the establishment of democratic procedures, would lead to such a sharp clash of authorities. Still, I did not think that, despite the fiercest resistance to the reformation, the front of the resisters would be so extensive, and the resistance so long. It seemed to me that the word "freedom" and the organizational form towering above it - democracy - would take the upper hand in a person, captivate him. And for the sake of this, people can endure material hardships, go to self-restraint, pacify ambitions. It seemed that under the onslaught of circumstances, even evil would somehow moderate itself. In other words, I was, in fact, a romantic. But a romantic who builds his ideas on assumptions of a fundamental nature: the nature of man, his eternal desire for freedom, democracy, self-expression, initiative ... Probably, in all our reform undertakings, we underestimated the dependent nature of society, the infection of a huge mass of people with lumpenism ... They underestimated lumpenism as a phenomenon.”
Well, of course, the people were to blame for everything. Did not appreciate the Yaroslavl romantic. And he again rushed into battle to correct it.
He became chairman of the Commission for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Political Repression. The former, under the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU, was not enough for him. I wanted to dig under the entire Soviet period. At the same time, he headed the Ostankino television and radio company. (It was under him that our television began to turn both in form and content into a trash heap!). And he also became the chairman of the Board of Directors of ORT, co-chairman of the Congress of Russian Intelligentsia. He headed the funds "Democracy", charity and health, a certain club "Leonardo". This was not enough, so he organized the Russian Party of Social Democracy. The climax of all the hectic activity of the unusually prolific agitator and political propagandist was an appeal to the Russian and world community about the need for a trial of Bolshevism and an investigation of the Leninist-Stalinist crimes. And then we are surprised that Western countries are forcing us to rewrite history!
Yakovlev's diligent efforts to humiliate his own country are appreciated in the West. He was awarded the Grand Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit (Germany), the Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit for the Polish Republic, the Order of Gediminas (Republic of Lithuania), the Order of the Three Stars (Republic of Latvia), and the Order of Terra Mariana (Republic of Estonia). Of course, he is far from Gorbachev in terms of awards. Well, that's how a man fought on an invisible front.
Yakovlev is the author of 25 books translated into many languages. “The torments of reading life”, “Foreword. collapse. Afterword”, “A Bitter Cup”, “According to the Relics and Oils”, “Comprehension”, “Krestosev”, “Pool of Memory”, “Twilight” ... But among the written, the “Black Book of Communism” stands out: “I studied a lot and corrosively the works of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin, Mao and other "classics" of Marxism, the founders of a new religion - the religion of hatred, revenge and atheism. A long time ago, more than 40 years ago, I realized that Marxism-Leninism is not a science, but journalism - cannibalistic and Samoyedic. Since I lived and worked in the highest "orbits" of the regime, including the highest - in the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU under Gorbachev, I was well aware that all these theories and plans were nonsense, and most importantly, what the regime was based on was nomenclature apparatus, personnel, people, figures. The figures were different: sensible, stupid, just fools. But they were all cynics. Every single one, including myself. They publicly prayed to false idols, the ritual was sacred, true convictions were kept to themselves. After the 20th Congress, in the super-narrow circle of our closest friends and like-minded people, we often discussed the problems of democratization of the country and society. They chose a method as simple as a sledgehammer to propagate the "ideas" of the late Lenin. A group of true and not imaginary reformers developed (orally, of course) the following plan: to strike at Stalin, at Stalinism, with the authority of Lenin. And then, in case of success, Plekhanov and Social Democracy beat Lenin, liberalism and "moral socialism" - revolutionism in general. The Soviet totalitarian regime could only be destroyed through glasnost and the totalitarian discipline of the party, while hiding behind the interests of improving socialism. Looking back, I can proudly say that a clever but very simple tactic - the mechanisms of totalitarianism against the system of totalitarianism - worked.
Solzhenitsyn also fought against totalitarianism. As best he could, he fought against the system, but for Russia and its disadvantaged people. Yakovlev, on the sly, fought against socialism, and against the country, and against its stupid people.
It is simply amazing that such a powerful, extraordinary mind was used up by a person exclusively for evil and hatred. Literally every line of the numerous works of this imprisoned misanthrope is saturated with them. It is enough just to read the titles of his works - all blackness, despondency and hopelessness. But even then millions of people lived, loved, worked, raised children, defended their homeland.
A former colleague of Yakovlev in the Politburo, Kryuchkov, chairman of the KGB of the USSR, admitted that Alexander Nikolayevich never remembered anything good from his past life. Or - caustic, derogatory, or - with hatred. He never loved “this unwashed country”, and from a long, well-fed life abroad, he simply physically, to animal colic, hated it. Sometimes I even feel sorry for him, who has gone to another world, without having experienced any joy from the long life he lived in this sublunar world. Which, of course, was different under socialism. But most of the time it's wonderful. Others simply cannot be the world ...
Special for the Centenary
Eminence grise
Eminence grise
From French: Eminence grise. Literally: Gray Eminence.
France in the 17th century this was the name of the assistant to Cardinal (since 1622) Richelieu (1585-1642), the Capuchin monk Father Joseph Francois le Clerc du Trambey, who was the right hand of the cardinal and had a considerable influence on him, while keeping in the background. Father Joseph wore a gray cassock (hence the nickname), in contrast to his patron, dressed in a scarlet cardinal robe.
In modern language, the nickname "gray cardinal" usually refers to Richelieu himself, referring to the huge influence that he had on the King of France, Louis XIII the Just (in 1624, Cardinal Richelieu became the head of the royal council, that is, the actual ruler of France).
Allegorically: about someone who acts behind the scenes, secretly, in the shadows, but at the same time really determines the actions of a formal leader (disapproved).
Encyclopedic Dictionary of winged words and expressions. - M.: "Lokid-Press". Vadim Serov. 2003 .
Synonyms:
See what "Gray Cardinal" is in other dictionaries:
Exist., number of synonyms: 1 puppeteer (6) ASIS synonym dictionary. V.N. Trishin. 2013 ... Synonym dictionary
Francois du Tremblay. Artist Jean Leon Gerome The Gray Cardinal ... Wikipedia
eminence grise- about someone who has great power, but does not occupy a corresponding high position and remains in the shadows. The turnover is associated with the name of the monk - Father Joseph, confidant, inspirer and participant in the intrigues of Cardinal Richelieu ... Phraseology Handbook
CARDINAL, a, husband. 1. For Catholics: the highest (after the pope) spiritual rank, as well as a person who has this rank. 2. unchanged The same as crimson (according to the color of the cardinal's mantle). The gray cardinal is a person who has great power, but does not occupy ... ... Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov
cardinal- I. CARDINAL a, m. cardinal m., lat. cardinalis. 1. The highest clergy after the pope in the Catholic Church, the hallmark of which is a red hat and mantle; a person who has this rank. ALS 1. There are cases in which even the smallest number ... Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language
This term has other meanings, see Cardinal (meanings). Vestments of Cardinals Cardinal ... Wikipedia
App., use. very often Morphology: ser, sulphur, sulphur, sulphur; grayer; nar. gray 1. Gray is a color intermediate between black and white, as well as an object of this color. Gray building. | Gray screen. | Gray overcoat. | Gray car. |… … Dictionary of Dmitriev
This article lacks links to sources of information. Information must be verifiable, otherwise it may be questioned and removed. You can ... Wikipedia
Cardinal Color coordinates HEX #C41E3A RGB¹ (r, g, b) (196, 30, 58) CMYK² ... Wikipedia
The gray eminence is the name given to influential people (especially in politics) who act behind the scenes and usually do not occupy formal positions with such powers. Contents 1 Origin of the concept 2 Examples in history 3 Literature ... Wikipedia
Books
- Banker. The Gray Cardinal, Dick Francis. Your attention is invited to a collection of novels by D. Francis ...
The phrase "gray cardinal" is a mystery to many people who have not met this term. What does it mean? A high-class Catholic clergyman wearing all grey? But the "princes of the church" wear red vestments... So, the literal interpretation of the term is unacceptable here. So who is this then?
This article will help the reader to understand this issue, find out the meaning of these words and get acquainted with specific examples from world history and everyday life.
How did the expression
The phrase has its roots in medieval France, at a time when religion and politics were still relatives, and not stepsisters. One of the most famous French characters of the 17th century is Armand Jean du Plessis, better known as Cardinal Richelieu. According to historians, this figure actually led the foreign and domestic policy of the French crown and had a tremendous influence on King Louis XIII. For the scarlet colors of the vestments laid down for a clergyman of his rank, one of Richelieu's nicknames was "Red Cardinal".
But very few people know who guided Richelieu himself. This person is known under the name Francois Leclerc du Tremblay. This is a man of noble blood who chose for himself the path of a monk of the Capuchin order, forever dressed in a gray cassock and taking the monastic name Father Joseph. It was he who led the “Richelieu Office”, an organization that kept the whole of France in fear. It was this man who carried out the most subtle and dark assignments for his patron, while caring about the final result, and not about the ways to achieve it. Father Joseph is the "gray cardinal", or "gray reverend." So he was called for the color of the Capuchin attire and his outstanding ability to conduct a political process without attracting attention to himself. The paradox lies in the fact that du Tremblay became a real cardinal of the Catholic Church only in the year of his death.
"Gray Cardinal" in the paintings of artists
The painting by the French artist Jean-Leon Gerome depicts Father Joseph in the modest gray robes of a Capuchin monk, calmly descending the stairs of the palace and immersed in reading. The reaction of the courtiers to his presence is amazing. Absolutely everyone, even the wealthiest people, bowed their heads in unison before the monk and tore off their hats. The monk did not honor the people bowing before him even with a fleeting glance, not paying any attention to their respect. So great was the importance of the "gray eminence" at the French court.
Another canvas depicting Father Joseph is by Charles Delo and is called Richelieu and his Cats. In addition to the red cardinal and his favorites, in a dark corner, at a table littered with papers, one can distinguish a man in a gray robe with a surprisingly concentrated and intelligent face. This is how the artist depicted the “gray cardinal”.
What does "gray cardinal" mean?
Many years have passed since the life of Father Joseph, but this expression has gained such popularity that it is still used today. The business suit has replaced the sutan, religion has ceased to play one of the main roles in politics, but the "gray cardinals" still exist.
Who is called the "gray cardinal"? This is an influential person of a greater mind, as a rule, from the category of high-ranking politicians. "Eminence Gray" is a strategist who prefers to solve his problems not directly, but through the hands of other people, while remaining in the shadows, not going on stage. This is a master puppeteer, skillfully pulling the strings of his puppets, forcing them to do their will.
"Eminence Gray" is a person who masterfully owns a number of skills, such as compromising evidence, PR, black PR, brute force through third parties, financial impact, and so on.
Examples from history
"Eminence grise" is an expression widely used in the period of modern and recent history. Let's look at a few examples.
Adolf Frederick Munch, an 18th-century Swedish politician, enjoyed the unconditional confidence of King Gustav III. On his smart advice, the Swedish monarch, in the confrontation with the Russian Empire, launched the production of fake Russian coins of high quality. The economic advantage allowed the Swedes to start military operations, which at that time brought a positive result.
Who was called the "grey eminence" in China? Shoemaker Li Lianying's son. But how did a simple poor man manage to become a “grey eminence”? Hearing that eunuchs, castrated men, enjoyed the greatest influence at the court of the emperor, the young man performed the operation himself. In the service of the emperor, a young servant colluded with one of his rejected concubines, eventually making her his beloved wife and the last empress of China.
Joseph Fouche, French police minister at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, was a classic "gray eminence". Collecting compromising evidence on every significant figure, Fouche achieved enormous influence, while remaining in the shadows. The unique ability of this man was the ability to change patrons with such ease and naturalness, as some people take off and put on gloves. Five times he managed to survive the transfer of power from the royalists to Napoleon and all five times to remain in his high position, and, moreover, one of the favorites of the ruler.
"Grey cardinals" of the Kremlin
In the recent history of Russia, there are also figures who have received such a nickname. So, who were called the "gray cardinals" of the Kremlin?
In the first years of the third millennium, such a nickname was attached to Alexander Stalyevich Voloshin, who led the Administration of the President of Russia. In the picture taken on December 31, 1999, Voloshin is symbolically depicted behind the backs of two leaders - Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin.
In the second decade of the 21st century, Vladislav Surkov began to be called such an expression. The “grey eminence” of the Kremlin, holding the position of assistant to the President, plays a crucial role in the political processes of the country. Vast experience in the media and in the field of public relations allows this person to subtly feel the conjuncture of people's mood and skillfully manage it.
Expression in music and films
In the album of the domestic rock group "Prince" there is a song with the same name. The first quatrain of Andrey Knyazev perfectly reveals the whole essence of the “shadow ruler”.
Secret power is the business of the smart,
And in any game you need to be able to
Get to the point, quietly and silently,
Subjugate and take over.
In the cult TV series The X-Files, not one person acts as a “shadow power”, but a whole secret government, the existence of which is unknown to ordinary people.
And board games
There are several board games that use the expression "grey eminence". For example, in the game of the same name from Russian authors Alexander Nevsky and Oleg Sidorenko, the player will have to feel himself in this difficult role. In a card game, you need to draw cards of the inhabitants of the palace from the deck: a jester, a general, a seer, a bard, an alchemist, a murderer, a judge, a king and a queen. With their help, it is necessary to gain political influence at the court. The winner of the game is the one who, at the end of the game, has the greatest "weight".
Another mention is found in another board game - Runebound. One of the skills in this game is called "Eminence Gray" and allows you to remove any enemy combat token, significantly weakening it with this action.
The origin of the phraseological unit "gray cardinal"
The expression "gray eminence" appeared in France in the 17th century during the reign of King Louis XIII the Just (1601 - 1643).
Having become the king of France and Navarre at the age of eight, Louis needed guardianship and mentors to make the right decisions in public matters. Such a mentor and adviser for Louis was Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke de Richelieu or, as is customary, Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642), who became head of the royal council in 1624. In fact, power was in the hands of Richelieu, by the way, nicknamed the "red cardinal" because of the red cap, which he was obliged to wear according to etiquette. Louis XIII, on the other hand, was mainly interested in balls, ballet, performances, hunting, and love affairs, and he was partly involved in politics and state affairs.
In turn, Cardinal Richelieu had his faithful adviser, a monk of the Capuchin order, a certain Father Joseph or, in the world, Francois Leclerc du Tremblay (1577 - 1638), who was actually called the “gray cardinal”.
Father Joseph - "gray cardinal"
Born into the family of a nobleman, Francois at first chose the path of a military man, but in 1599 he changed his life dramatically and joined the Capuchin Order, where he proved himself to be an excellent orator and preacher, which served his fame, and after the death of Henry IV and growing influence at the French court. Soon, now Father Joseph was noticed by Richelieu and gradually became his "right hand", his closest assistant and colleague. Becoming in 1624 the head of Richelieu's office (not the highest position), father Joseph, together with four brothers in the order, began to carry out especially important and secret tasks of his benefactor. He achieved the result, not particularly caring about the choice of means, but always with imagination and fiction, his ability to conduct intrigues could be envied by Richelieu himself.
Father Joseph was an excellent politician, a skillful and flexible diplomat, possessed of a quirky mind and excellent intuition. Undoubtedly, he enjoyed the full confidence of the cardinal, and therefore had a great influence on Richelieu, advising and guiding his patron in one political direction or another, could put into practice some decisions that were beneficial for himself and the Capuchin order at the highest state level, which he did with success .
As for the ideology, it was higher than that of Richelieu himself and was imbued with the spirit of Catholicism and the struggle against the Protestant faith, which was common at that time in France, Spain and especially in England, where even Richelieu surpassed and was considered enemy number one. With all this, he was immensely devoted to his benefactor.
Many considered Father Joseph to be Richelieu's successor. By the way, Richelieu himself tried for a long time to knock out a cardinal's hat for him, but the Roman Curia in every possible way prevented this, considering Father Joseph to be his rival and opponent in some way. Nevertheless, he became a cardinal shortly before his death, never having survived Richelieu, who was very worried about the death of his faithful colleague and friend. His famous phrase is:
"I lost my footing, I lost my comfort, my only help and support, my most trusted person."
This man was given the nickname "Eminence Gray" because of his gray cloak, in which he constantly walked. Well, his position in society became a characteristic of this nickname.
The life of Father Joseph, by nature secretive, inconspicuous and unsociable, was shrouded in mystery and has many blind spots. Despite this, everyone knew perfectly well who Father Joseph was and were afraid of him.
The well-known German historian Leopold von Ranke (1795 - 1886) discovered in the Paris National Library many acts and documents compiled directly under the supervision of Father Joseph.
The English writer and philosopher Aldous Leonard Huxley (1894 - 1963) described the life of Father Joseph in his book The Gray Eminence: A Study in Religion and Politics.
The expression “gray eminence” was popularized by the novel by A. Dumas “The Three Musketeers”, where there is only one phrase, but very accurate for the time described in the novel:
“This threat completely intimidated the owner. After the king and the cardinal, the name of Monsieur de Treville was perhaps the most frequently mentioned not only by the military, but also by the townspeople. True, there was also Father Joseph, but his name was pronounced only in a whisper: so great was the fear of "Grey Eminence", a friend of Cardinal Richelieu.
In the novel "Twenty Years Later" A. Dumas also only slightly mentioned Father Joseph:
"The commandant of the Bastille at that time was Monsieur du Tremblay, brother of Richelieu's formidable favorite, the famous Capuchin Joseph, nicknamed" gray cardinal».
The meaning of the phraseological unit "gray cardinal"
Thanks to the nickname of Father Joseph, the expression “gray eminence” or “grey eminence” began to be used in the meaning of a certain inconspicuous person who, remaining in the shadows, like a skilled puppeteer, manages important and significant matters. But the "gray cardinal", who occupies a not so high position or does not have an official status at all, simply needs his own "red cardinal", who has official power in his hands. It is through him that the “gray cardinal”, being behind the scenes and being a kind of conductor, in one way or another directs the “red cardinal” along the path that is beneficial to him or the interests of both cardinals, which more often coincide.
By the way, the “red cardinal” himself very often needs a “right hand”, a confidant, a “gray cardinal” (call it what you want), which he needs for not the most plausible deeds, when it’s impossible to go directly and honestly and require not entirely legal actions that should remain secret. That's when the "gray cardinals" come into play, inconspicuous, smart, dodgy intriguers with excellent intuition and flexible in business. And sometimes in these relations it is not clear who is manipulating whom, who is leading whom, and who really has real power in his hands.
The main components of the phraseologism "gray cardinal" is the possession of significant power and the absence of a high official position of the leader. And from the qualities of the "gray cardinal" one can single out mystery, secrecy, inconspicuousness, the presence of mind and intuition. In modern times, the expression “grey eminence” is used in mainstream politics and business, although now the boundaries of these concepts are so mixed up that it is sometimes not clear who is who, a politician in business or a businessman in politics.
Both in Russian and foreign history, there are many examples of the existence of "gray generals", some of which stood out and were really powerful.
You are honest, hardworking, principled. But he doesn't. You act in the open, and he is on the sly. You want to be in front of everyone and on their lips. And he prefers shade. Which of you will quickly overcome the career ladder and take the first prize? Do not rush to answer, it is not so obvious. After all, you are just a top manager. And he is a gray cardinal.
How to calculate SC?
As you know, it is very difficult to look for a black cat in a dark room, especially if it is not there. The gray cardinal is gray for that, in order to easily hide against any background, pretend to be a rag in any situation, and only then .... But then it will be too late, so if there is the slightest suspicion that the company has a gray cardinal, it must be calculated immediately. And for this it is necessary first of all to determine who exactly we are looking for, and from whom the potential danger may come.
Psychological portrait of SC
We immediately exclude bright, emotional employees, pronounced extroverts from the number of suspects.
We draw attention to those who avoid publicity, do not strive to get into the front ranks, but are not without ambition.
Most often, gray cardinals become phlegmatic with a hidden thirst for power or people with a strong character, but with a lot of complexes.
Reasonable people who love to draw up schemes, plans, and develop a strategy are suitable for such a role.
The gray cardinal is at the same time a bad communicator, but a good psychologist, "a connoisseur of human souls."
In addition, this is a person who does not value people, does not have friends and does not seek to acquire them.
Such a “character” is most satisfied with a situation about which he can say “I did it, but no one knows about it.”
Often the gray eminence is an employee who is next to the head by mutual agreement. In this case, he can play the role of his antipode according to the principle "Bad investigator - good investigator"
If you do not feel psychological talent in yourself and cannot distinguish a phlegmatic person from a choleric person, then the “360 degrees” technique will help to detect a shadow figure. Although, according to Svetlana Chumakova, most often there is no need for such a serious and expensive study, since usually everyone in the company already knows the eminence grise, even if they hide it.
Another clue in the search for our character may be the position he holds or the role he plays in the company.
Most often, SC becomes:
HR director or one of his deputies
Consultant, adviser or personal coach of the head
Lawyer
Secretary or personal assistant to the head
One of the deputy directors
Psychoanalyst
Leader's wife or mistress
Astrologer, fortune teller, or other "spiritual guide"
It is much more difficult for all other members of the team to take this post, due to the distance from the holder of power. But difficult does not mean impossible. As practice shows, almost any employee can become a gray cardinal.
When the subject is found, it's time to move on to solving the second, much more difficult task.
How to get rid of SC?
In order to free herself from the influence of favorites and gray cardinals who brought her to power, Empress Catherine the Great started an expensive and adventurous project that went down in history as the “partition of Poland”. And although its goal was achieved: both the Potemkins and the Orlovs were removed from the throne, this method can hardly be considered particularly effective. How can today, with the least losses, part with a gray figure behind your back?
Anastasia Kulikova, Leading Consultant, Consulting Center "Step": - The presence of such a "character" in a company is a certain element of corporate culture. Probably, you can fight him: collect compromising evidence, look for allies and "be friends against." But it is hardly worth spending energy on it, unless you yourself plan to take his place. The reason is simple: "Mr. Richelieu" appears in the company not so much through his own efforts, but because the general manager has a need for such a figure.
Marina Knyazeva, psychologist-consultant, Lambre company: - Get rid of does not mean expel from the company. The gray cardinal, or informal leader, needs to allocate his own field of activity, he may even have to be promoted. If the influence of the informal leader is positive, then his appointment to a leadership position will benefit both him: he will switch his energy to a peaceful direction, and the team: people will be drawn to him. If the influence was negative, then, having become one of those in power, he will lose the authority of an oppositionist in the eyes of the people. But the most important thing in this situation is to learn how to manage the gray cardinal, and for this you need to understand what levers of control he himself uses. A "controlled" gray eminence can be very useful to the company, but an expelled informal leader can bring enormous harm, especially if this is a really valuable figure. He can be sheltered by your competitors, and a person with such a temperament of offense does not forgive and does not forget for a long time. So before you get into a fight, think about how it could end.
Vasily Pigin, managing partner of Dialog Management Consulting: - The easiest way to calculate the gray cardinal is to determine the one who is endowed with the maximum amount of "undeserved" privileges. So, in order to get rid of such an informal leader, you just need to make the secret clear. Change the decision-making process and the distribution of wealth so that they become transparent, and the cardinal will leave ... But in this case, could not the gray cardinal become the official leader? Perhaps yes, but it will be very difficult for him to overcome the habit of manipulating others in himself, since this problem is from the field of internal beliefs.
How to become SC?
But perhaps you have a different task ahead of you. You intend to dress yourself in a gray suit of an "underground worker". Andrei N., deputy HR director, tells how this is done: - Even the most prosperous company has its own pitfalls, currents, and sometimes even sunken submarines are found. Ours was no exception, I realized this almost immediately. And I decided to take a chance and embark on this underwater adventure full of dangers in search of, if not the treasures of the dead captains, then at least a better position, salary, and in the long run ... But more on that later.
After a month of work, I realized that not one of the heads of departments, deputy chiefs and their deputies was going to retire, die or look for another job in the near future, and, therefore, there was nothing to think about moving up the career ladder by honest performance of their work. There was only one thing left - to become an informal leader. But how? Having applied all the knowledge gained at the institute and the experience of previous jobs, I developed an action plan, which I began to strictly follow. If you are in a similar situation, and you have no other opportunity to realize your ambitions, you can take it into service. As time has shown, I chose absolutely the right tactics.
Strategic plan for seizing power:
Finding a current informal leader (this is not difficult) or a gray cardinal (much more difficult). And ingratiate himself with him, or at least get his attention. How: To do this, you just need to run into him more often in a variety of situations, always provide him with small services, volunteer to carry out assignments.
Become an indispensable employee not only for your immediate boss, but also for his boss. How: Do a little more work than assigned, anticipate what else they might assign, always be aware of what is happening in the team, with clients, with competitors, etc.
Gradually, but regularly, expand your powers, first capturing some of the capabilities of your colleagues, and then the boss. How: To replace the sick or gone on vacation, and after returning some of his most important powers to keep with him.
Make friends with people who enter the boss's office and have influence on him. How: Find out what they are interested in, addicted to, where they go, and start to be interested in the same things, visit the same places.
Copy the working style of your boss. How to: Work while the boss is working, wear the same style of dress, treat all other employees the same as possible.
Become a member and soul of an informal organization or association existing in the office. How: Actively participate in all their activities, offer your ideas on this topic.
Under no circumstances:
* get involved in the struggle of various bosses among themselves, in the most acute cases, take sick leave or vacation;
*demonstrate your real capabilities and power until the time comes;
* tell anyone anything compromising about yourself, better than nothing concrete at all;
* show how you really relate to the boss, and even more so to his boss;
* argue on important issues, while you can defend your opinion on trifles so as not to seem like a person,
completely without opinion.
I can guarantee that if you strictly follow these rules, then at most in six months your position in your favorite office will change: regardless of your position, you will be treated first with caution, then attentively, then respectfully, then with caution, and then ... It all depends on you: if you want to seize power, you will. As for me personally, I did not miss such a pleasant opportunity. But most importantly, never take the struggle for informal leadership too seriously. It's just a game. Otherwise, instead of the mantle of the gray cardinal, you may get a straitjacket.
Literature "in the subject": D. McGovern "Martin Borman. Gray cardinal in brown uniform”, 2000, “Phoenix”;
V. Kraskov "Grey cardinals of the Kremlin", 1999, "Modern Writer"
So, the gray cardinal is exposed, convicted and expelled from the company. Now you can finally work in peace. Unless, during the righteous struggle, you have forgotten how to do this, and a new gray guard has not arisen around you, helping you in the struggle for sole leadership ... Although this is also not so scary, because now you know how to calculate the gray cardinal and how to get rid of him . And this occupation, as practice shows, is very exciting.
